Stability of miR-126 in Urine and Its Potential as a Biomarker for Renal Endothelial Injury with Diabetic Nephropathy

Abstract EN

Background.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the feasibility of using miR-126 in the urine as a biomarker for diabetic nephropathy.

Methods.

miRNAs were extracted from the urine samples of T2DM patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN; n = 92 ), T2DM without DN ( n = 86 ), and 85 healthy volunteers using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (real-time polymerase chain reaction) analysis.

Stability of urinary miR-126 and factors that affected the stability were assessed.

A subgroup analysis was also carried out to compare the urinary miR-126 level in T2DM patients well controlled by the treatment versus those who were not well controlled.

Results.

Urinary miR-126 was stable when the urine samples were kept at room temperature for extended period of time, 4°C, −20°C, and −80°C for up to 12 hours or subjected to 10 freeze-and-thaw cycle.

Urinary miR-126 was significantly higher in T2DM patients with DN ( 5.7 6 ± 0.3 3 versus 3.2 5 ± 0.4 5 in T2DM patients without DN).

Successful treatment significantly reduced urinary miR-126 in T2DM patients with DN to 3.89 ± 0.52 ( P < 0.05 ).

Conclusion.

miR-126 in the urine is stable and it could be used as a biomarker of DN and to monitor the treatment response.